Last week we introduced the idea that the network of pipeline infrastructure across the nation is a steadily growing web of interconnected arteries and veins weaving across the country. Transporting crude oil to refineries and refined oil to distribution centers, the role of pipelines is a fundamental and important one in the oil and gas industries. Sure, without pipeline, crude would still be transported to the refineries; albeit in a much less efficient manner. If pipelines were not in place, the burden of transport would most likely fall on the freight transportation industry. This would mean increased rail and truck transport. Now, like we said last week, we are going to get into looking at some of the more hot topic projects on the table right now.

A few months back, we had been exploring the ins and outs of the pipeline construction process and talked a bit about the typical timelines that many of these large scale pipeline projects follow. Major pipeline construction projects can take years upon years to complete. The planning and permitting stages are some of the most time consuming aspects of the process, and can account for a huge portion of the time spent developing a new pipeline. As a lot of you are probably aware, there is one such project in the news recently that has been years in the making, and is currently finding itself stymied in its steps. The 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline was rejected in the Whitehouse last week, and the pipeline construction firm was encouraged to reapply for the federal permitting required to begin construction.  This trans-continental pipeline would run from a tar sand mine (a controversial form of oil procurement due to the energy intensive refinement process) in Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast. The project, which has been in the works for several years, will continue its long journey, and before it is all said and done, hardwood mats will most assuredly be involved.

As you all are probably fully aware, we talk a lot about pipelines, pipeline construction, and everything that goes along with it. The lifeblood of our nation is pumped to and fro through a vast and complex circuitry of pipeline. Daily, the overall number of miles of pipeline in our country grows. This is certainly no surprise to most of you. Being a manufacturer and supplier of hardwood mats, as you might imagine, we have seen it all when it comes to pipeline construction projects. Hardwood mats and crane mats are one of the fundamental pieces of the picture when it comes to pipeline construction and are an imperative if there is to be any hope of traversing challenging, swampy, muddy, wet, or sensitive terrain with any kind of efficiency. The design and nature of hardwood mats in all their many varieties is such that the travel of heavy machinery over difficult terrain is drastically improved (when we say hardwood mat, we are including a whole host of hardwood mat varieties: crane mats, bridge mats, laminated mats, rig mats, swamp mats, and just about any other kind of mat you could think of).

By dispersing weight across a larger surface area, the impact of the tire or machinery tread is diffused. This means less impact on the roots of sensitive vegetation, less erosion (a problem that can plague job sites years after their completion), and a greatly reduced burden of reclamation after the project is finished. Like we pointed out before getting carried away on our tangent of hardwood mat use, the number of miles of pipelines across the country and across the globe is steadily growing daily. In the forthcoming installment of our hardwood mat o-rama blog, we are going to look at some pipeline projects that are in the works and explore some of the issues surrounding these projects.

Last week, we dove headlong into the reason hardwood mats have become commonplace on pipeline construction operations and other construction jobsites. We looked at the threat erosion poses to the ecosystems surrounding jobsites. It is important to note that the threat of degraded soil is not that animals will starve, or flowers won’t grow; the real threat is that the value gained from these resources (vegetation and animal life) will not be as abundant on the land. For landowners and recreation enthusiasts who rely on the land for food (grown or otherwise), seriously eroded or damaged soil ecosystems can mean lower productivity and less yield from the land. Hardwood mats are becoming a fundamental part of the picture on jobsites that require the preservation of the land for the purpose of productivity.

At any given moment, there are pipeline construction projects in every stage of development. Whether in the planning stages or the later stages of actual pipeline construction, hardwood mats, crane mats, laminated mats, and bridge mats are likely in the picture. To ensure that hardwood mats are in ready supply, DixieMat stocks an abundant supply of every variety of hardwood mat. Because the variety of applications for which hardwood mats are used is vast, there are a variety of shapes and sizes available to suit every need. Where a crane mat might accommodate one situation perfectly, a laminated mat or bridge mat might be exactly what is needed to safely and effectively construct pipeline, or access hard to reach environments.  By ensuring the protection of valuable environmental resources, and by enabling the safe and efficient access of remote areas and hard to access places, hardwood mats ease the burden of major construction projects and pipeline construction projects. This is the heart and soul of the why hardwood mats are so important and at the heart and soul of DixeMat hardwood mats.

When ­dealing in the hardwood mat and laminated mat industry, there are a few rules that are helpful to know.  Let’s start with the obvious; a hardwood mat is a simple thing, and its role on the jobsite is basic – but don’t let that fool you, its importance and value on the pipeline construction site is paramount. Last week we took some time to look at the reasons for hardwood mats on pipeline construction projects. One of the biggest reasons these tools (if you can call a hardwood mat a tool) are brought onto the jobsite is their unsurpassed ability to protect fragile soil ecosystems and preserve the integrity of the landscape. Erosion and soil degradation pose a serious treat to the preservation of productive ecosystems. What do we mean when we say productive? Well, a productive environment, in this sense, refers to a variety of different measures that gauge the health of the land. This can include the health of the livestock or wild game that rely on the land for food and sustenance, the health of the microbial systems that call the soil home, the vegetation that grows on the land, and even the waterways and fish in the surrounding areas. There is obviously a lot that goes into a healthy ecosystem, and it all starts with what can grow on the soil. This soil makes up the base of the entire system, and as its foundation, it is one of the most critical pieces of the puzzle. Remove the foundation, and the rest will unravel. Major erosion can impact the soil’s ability to grow vegetation on it. If the soil is too unstable to grow vegetation on it, the animal life that requires productive soil and vegetation will be forced to find new places to feed and new places to live. We’ll look at this a little more in depth next time.

If you were following along last week, we looked at where the demand for hardwood mats originates. Because there is a demand for oil, and because there is a demand for the protection of the places through which oil pipelines run, there is a large need for easily movable ground protection. (i.e. hardwood mats, crane mats, bridge mats, laminated mats and movable wood roads). Some reading this might find it hard to fathom that there are those out there who are concerned with covering the ground before machines move over it. While it might sound unnecessary, there are reasons that this has become a common practice on the pipeline construction site and other varieties of construction sites around the nation and world.

A primary reason for this practice is the protection of topsoil. Topsoil is a sensitive microcosm of life where interconnected biological systems keep the health of the ecosystem in check. There is a delicate balance that exists in most topsoil that sustains the health of the wildlife and plant life in the surrounding area. In many cases, pipeline projects transect private land and public land that is used for hunting, fishing and contributes to the overall health of the larger area surrounding it. To best preserve the land, and to better protect against erosion and land degradation, which can take years to fully return to its optimal state, a variety of techniques are used. Erosion control devices are a big part of the overall picture. One of the most effective ways to prevent erosion is to keep the land from being drastically disturbed in the first place. This is the role of hardwood mats. By protecting the ground from being tilled by the tracks and tires of heavy machinery, crane mats and hardwood mats can slow the degradation of the soil and help avoid costly land reclamation work.

We’ve addressed this in the past, but as you all are fully aware, Petroleum is in every place imaginable. It is essential to continuing life and society as it now exists. Were petroleum to suddenly vanish from the face, or belly of the earth, life would be incredibly different, and most likely, incredibly difficult for quite some time. But don’t take our word for it; just watch Water World with Kevin Costner and your eyes will be opened! The scale to which petroleum is used today is enormous. A vast majority of the petrol (refined or crude) is carried back and forth across the country by a network of pipelines. So how did all that pipeline get there? Well, it is pretty simple – it was built, mile-by-mile to span the country in an unbelievable web. The process of pipeline construction has come a long way over the years, and today, what was once a crude process, has become a precise, complex, and intricate thing. As society’s awareness of the process has become more complete, there has been a push to protect the land through which the pipeline will run.

Now, there are some sensitive areas and environments that will still be dramatically impacted even if extensive measures to protect are taken. For a large portion of the pipelines, however, there are measures that can be taken to improve the outcome of a specific area after pipeline has been run through it. Soil conservation and the protection of sensitive habitat can offset the impact of pipeline construction and improve the environmental sustainability of a given pipeline operation. This is why hardwood mats are so important to the protection of these environments. Hardwood trees harvested elsewhere are milled and constructed into durable, mobile solid footing that serves as a physical barrier between the pipeline construction machinery and the ground itself.

Last week we took a little siesta from our hardwood mat fact finding and knowledge building and celebrated our commitment to hardwood mats and crane mats with a celebratory ode to the hardwood mat. It might have been over the top, it might have bordered on obsessive, but lets be frank, we are all here to talk about one thing, and that is hardwood mats. Sure, we can divide and subdivide the vast category of hardwood mats until we are left with the individuals characters themselves; hardwood mats, crane mats, bridge mats , etc., etc., etc. But, the point is, if we didn’t want to talk hardwood mats, we wouldn’t be hanging around the hardwood mat watering hole that is Dixiemat.com We’d probably out on the town, or relaxing by the pool, or maybe hunting in the woods, or spending time with the family, or washing the dog. But no, we are here, and we aim to talk about the one thing worth talking about on a hardwood mat manufactures website… do I have to say it?… ok, hardwood mats! Anyhow, last week we took a bit of a detour, and it looks like we got carried off in the rush of it all a bit this week as well.  No harm, no foul. Getting our heads back in the game though, let’s recall what we explored last month and kick off with a fresh start next week. Last month we explored the hardwood mat rating scales that are in place and help assure quality control in the manufacture of crane mats, rig mats, and hardwood mats, In our coming explorations, we’re going to dive further into the mat creation and mat rating process, and hopefully get a little more familiar with our friend, the hardwood mat.

For those of you who look for binding themes, and the commonality among uncommon parts, you’ve probably already cracked the code here at DixieMat. Our dealings and explorations here on the blog have dealt with a wide range of ideas and topics, but we’ve never strayed too far from the common denominator – that being hardwood mats. We have looked at mats in every light, bright and pale, explored their uses and utility in circumstances and places foreign and familiar. This common thread that connects all of these diverse and widely ranging posts has been hard to avoid. The hardwood mat, the crane mats, the laminated mat, the rig mat, the lumber mat, the bridge mat, the board road, whatever you want to call it, the arrangement of quality hardwood into a single and useful piece of equipment is what we are all about here. From Canada to the swamplands of the South, there is no territory we haven’t covered… and if there is, hang on for a bit and we’ll certainly get to it eventually. We will leave no rock unturned, no hardwood unchecked, no mat unbolted. We are in the business of hardwood mats, and where they intersect with life and work, we are going to be there, and we’ll write about it right here. There are few places in this world wide web where you’ll find this kind of commitment. Alright, there might be a few, but regardless, the hardwood mat reigns supreme in DixieMat country. Surpassing language barriers and obstacles great and small, that simple contraption, the hardwood mat, will forever be our pride and our purpose. We hope a little bit of this passion wears off on you, whoever you might be, as you peruse our stacks of hardwood mat knowledge. Until next time, happy matting!

Today we’re going to continue our discussion from last week and look at the hardwood rating systems that are in place today and that are used daily to help determine the quality, strength and usability of hardwood lumber. Specifically, we’re going to be looking at the standards established by the NHLA (National Hardwood Lumber Association). These are pretty much the standard by which all other standards are judged in the hardwood lumber industry. It is the primary rating scale in the United States as well as internationally, and therefore, is important to know about.  The NHLA was established over 100 years ago to standardize the grading system used for hardwood lumber, and has been in place since. This standardization did away with the countless smaller rating scales that varied from lumber mill to lumber mill. Here at DixieMat, this lumber rating scale has always been important to the way we run business and the quality of our product.

The basis of this rating scale deals primarily with the size and type of defects found in any one given piece of wood; and since its creation, it has remained largely unchanged since its initial incorporation into the hardwood lumber industry. Hardwood mats, crane mats, bridge mats, rig mats, and every other form of mat are built around this rating system in order to produce the highest quality mat every time.

The scale, based around the imperfections of the wood, has a range running from FAS, which is the highest rating hardwood can receive, to No. #B Common, the lowest rating possible. The difference between the two is significant, and the durability and quality of the products constructed with these different grades of wood can vary considerably. Now, to be fair, there are lower grades of lumber that are still incredibly durable and reliable, but lack the aesthetic perfection that FAS and its relatives possess. In the coming months, we’ll dissect this scale a little more and before you know it, you’ll be rating hardwood left and right

Several months ago we endeavored to look at hardwood rating scales and learn a little bit more about the processes by which hardwood, the main player in hardwood mats, is rated. What might seem like a simple process really has more to consider than might first be expected. The reason these kind of rating scales is simple; industry wide consistency means greater protection for the consumer and allows a quick formation of trust between the buyer and seller. Knowing a hardwood mat manufacturer, or other hardwood product manufacturer or supplier uses only industry rated components to build their product, the consumer can take some confidence in the product itself.

Safety is another primary reason that these rating scales are in place. The hardwood mat industry is not simply about ground cover and soil stabilization, it is also about safety. There are a lot of things that can go wrong on a jobsite, and there are a lot of ways that hardwood mats, crane mats, and laminated mats help to lessen the risk of accidents and damage. By securing otherwise unstable ground surfaces, the jobsite is made exponentially safer for both machinery and the humans running the whole operation. Safety doesn’t stop here though. Another primary use for hardwood mats and bridge mats is the safe transport of massive machinery into unstable regions. This often takes place via hardwood mat systems used to cross bogs, marshes, and even rivers. These temporary roads constructed of hardwood mats are relied upon to be stable and secure. Should they fail, the consequences could be major. A failed bridge mat could spell disaster for a job, and could mean injury or even loss of life for crewmembers. Because so much rides on hardwood mats, a lumber rating scale is a necessity.  Next time we’ll look a little bit closer at this rating scale and hopefully learn a thing or two about hardwood mats along the way.